3689395213?profile=original

 

Recently, GoPro released new firmware for the GoPro HD camera (http://gopro.com/support/hd-hero-firmware-update/). There are improvements and features in various areas, but the one that interested me was the "Live Feed Out" feature, which is the ability to feed VGA video out through the "VGA Out" port while recording HD video onto the SD card at the same time. The "Upside Down Mode" (in case you need to mount the unit upside down on your aircraft) and "One Button Mode" (starts recording as soon as it comes on) also seem like they would be useful for some folks in our community.

 

I mounted the GoPro on the front/bottom of my custom-framed Arducopter. I tried various methods (more on that later), but in the end, I wedged it into the frame into a velcro sandwich. It's extremely snug, but it will give if it needs to.

 

I bought a little cable that connects from the GoPro's AV Out port to a 5.8Ghz 100mW ImmersionRC audio/video transmitter. This in turn transmits VGA-quality video in realtime back to my Fatshark 5.8 Ghz Aviator Video Goggles. I'm using the 5.8Ghz so that it wouldn't interfere with my 2.4ghz RC Rx/Tx.

 

My backyard tests indicate that I am able to transmit FPV video while simultaneously recording High-Definition video onto the SD card. The FPV in the video goggles has a bit static at times (which I understand to be pretty typical for transmitted video), and not particularly bright (when I was flying on a cloudy day), but appears quite useable. The quality of the recorded HD video on the GoPro is excellent as usual. I haven't used it in full, long-distance flight yet, and I'm new to FPV, but it seems very promising.

 

During this project, I also tried three different micro and sub-micro pan-tilt servo kits from various vendors. My initial goal was to setup a head tracker so that the camera would tilt and pan based on where I looked. I got the electronics and RC aspects of that to work relatively well, but I didn't like the way the pan/tilt unit, even the smallest and most robust one, tended to hang the GoPro out in the open below the Arducopter. I'm not a good pilot, so I was scared that my "landings," which are sometimes more like controlled crashes, would destroy the pan/tilt/camera, so I opted for the more robust protected mounting approach that you see in the pictures. Once I get confident with my flight skills in general, and FPV flying in particular, then maybe I'll mount the tilt/pan and head tracker again.

 

I've included pictures of the GoPro mounted in the Arducopter, plus the electronics on top including the ImmersionRC transmitter (which is the red and green thing under the battery alarm at the top of the screen). 

3689395183?profile=original

 

3689395195?profile=original

3689395256?profile=original


I've also included a picture of the new mounting for my sonar, so now it's mounted inside the frame (in the center of the bottom), rather than on the outside like it was before. Also new with this version of my Arudcopter is that I've mounted the ESCs between the two main center plates. I also added a lower plate for the battery, camera, and sonar to attach to (and to reduce shear stress on the vertical posts during crashes). I like the new design because it gives me plenty of cargo room below, but it required me to make the center plates a larger square (5.3" now) and it was a real bear trying to squeeze those ESCs into the little triangle between the arms. In my continuing quest for crash-resistance, I also upgraded the center plates from 0.032" 3003-H14 aluminum to 0.050" 6061-t6 aircraft aluminum. Thus far, it's proven much more robust than the previous versions (in which the aluminum wrinkled a bit during really bad crashes). But now my arducopter is getting pretty heavy. Fully loaded, with the camera, battery, video transmitter, etc., the flying weight clocks in at 1181 grams. It no longer resembles the admirably light and agile DIY-Drones Arudcopter kit as much as it did before. It's more of a flying tank.  :)

 

3689395096?profile=original

 

 

E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of diydrones to add comments!

Join diydrones

Comments

  • I noticed that you need a ham radio license for this setup and was curious how you are overlaying your call sign on your video signal from the quadcopter? Big fines come along with not overlaying your call sign.
  • I had ground and voltage wires going from the main 3s lipo battery to a battery alarm. I cut those wires, split them into little Y cables, and powered the video transmitter from those. My "power distribution unit" is rather crude. I soldered up a Deans connector so that one end is like an octopus for connecting to the four motors, the battery alarm (and now the video transmitter), and so on. 

     

  • I bought the same GoPro and FatShark, what are you using to power the FatShark transmitter on the quad?
  • Jason: Thank you for the details of your copter plans. Very interesting stuff. I was especially interested to hear about making motor mounts that are too strong. After eliminating all the other weak points in my quad, when I crash now, two things break: the props and/or the motor mounts. Both of these are very easy to replace. Props are dirt cheap. Mounts aren't too bad either. So, maybe I should just leave it at that and not make the motor mounts stronger. On my quad it's a real pain to replace the motor, so I would much rather replace the mount.

     

  • Excellent! Thanks for verifying.
  • We have seen no evidence of latency when using the GoPro for FPV applications
  • Developer

    Robert, 

    Here are the plans I used to build my latest copter. The aluminum was cut with a band saw and sanded with a disk sander. The bars were drilled with a standard drill press and a countersink bit, done by hand.

    The arms are 1/2" square with .06" wall and the flat sheets for the care are .06 or .04. They are very sturdy. 

     

    I made my own motor mounts out of some aluminum bar, but I made them too strong. Now when I crash I loose a motor shaft or bearing instead of the X mount. I really need a break away or compliant member between the motor and the arm to prevent too much damage in crashes. I'm considering zip ties over a longer version of the bars. I'll just keep a big pack of them with me when I fly.

    Jason

     

    http://ardupilot-mega.googlecode.com/svn/ArduPilotMegaImages/jasons...

  • Hi. Have you tested / noticed if there is any latency (delay) when feeding the video from the GoPro? On a normal surveillance type video camera with composite video out, there is no noticeable latency. This makes those cameras very nice to FPV fly as there is instant feedback to your videoglasses. In case there were latency issues with the GoPro, that would limit the useability of the GoPro camera for these kind of applications. I am very close to purchasing a GoPro in case you can confirm that there is no latency issues. Noticing that the GoPro uses an embedded processor and a digital sensor that sends digital pixel data to a compressing engine via a fast serial or paralell databus , I would suspect some latency since the digital video engine has to generate composite video.

     

     

  • Here are the video glasses. These have the receiver built into it. You select the transmitter (that goes on the aircraft) at the same time you purchase the goggles (select-list at the bottom of the page):

    http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&a...

    Here is the cable that connects the GoPro to the transmitter.

    http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&a...

    The store owner's name is Tim. He's very helpful.

    Please note that there are probably many different ways to do this. This is just the way I did it.

     

  • Thanks for the posting.

    Can you upload the video? and where can I get the 5.8Ghz transmitter and receiver?

     

    Just a question come in to my mind (not related to FPV)

     Q. Is the GPS position holding working properly? these days, I've tested many times, but

         the quadrotor tends to control their input in reverse way.

This reply was deleted.